Nintendo has abruptly released a lengthy gameplay overview trailer for Pikmin 4, in addition to announcing that a playable demo is now live on the Nintendo Switch eShop, with save data transferable to the full release. This is pretty random timing, as Pikmin 4 had received a spotlight in the Nintendo Direct that occurred just last Wednesday. Nonetheless, this demo is welcome — and probably even necessary, as Pikmin 4 will not be climbing the sales charts the way The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom did. This game needs all the help it can get to garner attention.
The overview trailer is worth watching too to get a general idea of basic mechanics, including how the different Pikmin function, differences between day and night, and new quality-of-life additions, like a rewind feature. Regarding that rewind, you can choose to wind back the clock by, for example, one minute, to undo a deadly mistake that might have wiped out a lot of your Pikmin. The trailer also just offers plenty more pretty visuals, including a random Game Boy Advance SP. That’s fun.
Pikmin 4 launches on July 21, 2023, but you can try its eShop demo now. Meanwhile, back at the aforementioned Nintendo Direct, remasters of the original Pikmin and Pikmin 2 shadow-dropped on the eShop, and a physical release will follow in September. Soon, you’ll be playing all four numbered entries in the franchise in full on Switch.